isobellaturenhout

[isobellaturenhout]

Final poster

[isobellaturenhout]

Creation of the Image

Using Illustrator i traced a concrete sculpture by Carel Nicolaas Visser (3 May 1928 – 1 March 2015) was a Dutch sculptor. He has had an important impact on Dutch abstract-minimalist constructivism in sculpture.

https://lightsleeper1.tumblr.com/post/29755079941/betonbabe-carel-visser-reinforced-concrete/amp

REINFORCED CONCRETE SCULPTURE IN THE HAGUE, 1966 

I decided to change the sculpture a bit so that i could reflect the brutalist methodology and also make a more unique image. 

[isobellaturenhout]

MY IMAGE INSPO

[isobellaturenhout]

Card that Im not including

Realised we could only have set of 8 or set of 12

[isobellaturenhout]

Hunstanton School was the first brutalist building to ever be completed in post-war Britain. Alison and Peter Smithson were the architects that challenged British Brutalism and led the movement into ‘New Brutalism’. What made the Smithsons so successful was their design philosophy which consisted of  low-cost modularity, material focus, and purity.

[isobellaturenhout]

Abstract from draft plan

Architecture can be radically influenced by shifts in culture, lifestyle and consumer trends. Brutalism, a controversial style of architecture for many, including myself has had negative impression from society for decades. The word brutalism itself and the words surrounding the style are described to be, ‘in humane’ ‘harsh’ and ‘violent.’ So why is it that so many of our buildings and residencies are made up of brutalist principles? This report looks for the beauty in brutalism that so many architects and brutalist lovers recognise. We also delve into brutalism within society and how the style of architecture has trickled its way into other areas of modern lifestyle. 

[isobellaturenhout]

Concrete on mental health

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/feb/28/delicate-sense-of-terror-what-does-concrete-do-to-our-mental-health

To critic still 

[isobellaturenhout]

The New Brutalism. Ethic or Aesthetic by Reyner Banham

https://www.jstor.org/stable/3331537?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

I found this book extremely interesting, it mainly highlights the idea of Ethics vs Aesthetics which was a massive factor during post war architecture. Architects like Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe have been practising individual methodology when it came to the brutalism movement. Le Corbusier focused more on raw and rough concrete structures created by man. As well as the sculptural form to show the effects of time, almost crumbling into existence. Mies on the other hand embraced structured rectilinear systems, steel and glass technology, embodying more open and minimal spaces. For architecture to be considered ‘brutalist’ architect Reyner Banham states that brutalism must possess the following principles.

[isobellaturenhout]

The era of radical concrete

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29082338

The era has led to lasting resentment.

"For many people today the planners are responsible for having destroyed a lot of post-war British towns," says Dr Mark Clapson, reader in History at University of Westminster. "They say that a lot of architectural heritage was lost for failed modern experiments. Planner was like a dirty word."

But after the devastation of World War Two, chronic housing shortages and overcrowding demanded new solutions. And the town planners were deemed to have them.

With housing shortages again firmly part of the national debate in the UK, the spirit of the 1940s has been invoked with the announcing of three new garden cities.

Crit - A short observation on this British article, it seems as though the author has a negative view on brutalism. Some people see brutalist buildings from post war as being left to deal with. Buildings being described as WW2 memorials 

[isobellaturenhout]

Minimalism

In design, minimalism can apply to many things; for Osminina it encompasses straight lines, clean geometries, and sparse yet functionally-loaded spaces.

“Simplicity is very difficult to create, especially when every single detail counts”

It means neutral walls, soft enveloping colors, natural materials, and uncomplicated solutions. “For me, a space must feel simple; the design must speak for itself,” she says. Simplicity is very difficult to create, especially when every single detail counts. “Paradoxically, simplicity is the hardest thing,” she adds. “Achieving it demands a lot of watching and studying,” she explains, adding “there is a lot of Eastern philosophy in this, in which deep and long contemplation lies.”

Crit Maria has been the inspiration for this report. In my spare time I like to create art that fits into the world of minimalism and brutalism. Blank walls and rough finishes are perfect canvases for abstract art. 

[isobellaturenhout]

Zaha Hadid

https://theconversation.com/zaha-hadid-even-more-than-her-buildings-its-her-mind-that-left-its-mark-158004

Text description provided by the architects. The pierresvives building for the department de l’Herault is the unification of three institutions - the archive, the library and the sports department - within a single envelope. These various parts combine to create a building with a strong single identity when viewed at a distance, but as one moves closer, the division into three parts becomes apparent. The building has been developed using functional and economic logic: the resultant design reminiscent of a large tree-trunk that has been laid horizontally. The archive is located at the solid base of the trunk, followed by the slightly more porous library with the sports department and its well-lit offices on far end where the trunk bifurcates and becomes much lighter. ‘Branches’ project vertically off the main trunk to articulate points of access to the various institutions.

Critical Commentary - A group of architects who are leading future of brutalism with the legacy of Zaha Hadid are embracing it in contemporary ways. Harnessing technology and talent, Zaha Hadid Architects create spaces that are a vision of culture and accessibility. Much like the Pierresvives building based in Montpellier. The futuristic structure of the building is divided within three parts, but when viewed at a distance it becomes one single identity. The building is created with white concrete layers and tinted glass with swirling curves of the two materials.

[isobellaturenhout]

The Smithsons

https://www.archdaily.com/645128/spotlight-alison-and-peter-smithson

Wife and husband pair Alison (22 June 1928 – 16 August 1993) and Peter Smithson (18 September 1923 – 3 March 2003) formed a partnership that led British Brutalism through the latter half of the twentieth century. Beginning with a vocabulary of stripped-down modernism, the pair were among the first to question and challenge modernist approaches to design and urban planning. Instead, they helped evolve the style into what became Brutalism, becoming proponents of the "streets in the sky" approach to housing.

Critical Commentary This was an interesting article about the Smithsons who were a dynamic duo who practised Brutalism. Hunstanton School was the first brutalist building to ever be completed in post-war Britain. Alison and Peter Smithson were the architects that challenged British Brutalism into ‘New Brutalism.’ What made the Smithsons so successful was their design philosophy which consisted of  low-cost modularity, material focus, and purity.

[isobellaturenhout]

The New Brutalism by Reyner Banham

https://www.architectural-review.com/archive/the-new-brutalism-by-reyner-banham

Brutalism Characteristics

Reyner Banham states that one architectural work can be considered Brutalist if it possesses the following characteristics

1) Clear exhibition of structure – this relates to inclination to stress primary construction, often even vertical communications. Outer layers are omitted, as they hide the original appearance, the aesthetics of the construction and basic construction materials;

2) Valuation of materials “as found” – the inclination to use the materials in their raw or original form, so that there is no need for later processing, i.e.

3) Memorability as an image – perception of an architectural work should aim for its comprehensive and clear experience, i.e. that the form perceived from one point can later be confirmed when going around the building or when using the structure;

4) Formal legibility of plan1 – architectural composition should be recognizable in the structural layout. The form should reflect the functional organization of the structure and materials it was built of.

https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2021/07/e3sconf_peee2021_04001.pdf

CRIT - The word brutal enforces something to be rough and unfinished in reference to the treatment of materials. Architects like Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe have been practising individual methodologies when it came to the brutalism movement. Le Corbusier focused more on raw and rough concrete structures, looked as though it was created by man. As well as the sculptural form to show the effects of time, almost crumbling into existence. 

Mies on the other hand embraced structured rectilinear systems, steel and glass technology, embodying more open and minimal spaces. 

For architecture to be considered ‘brutalist’ architect Reyner Banham states that brutalism must possess the following principles. 

“Memorability as an image, Clear Exhibition of structure; and Valuation of materials ‘ as found” Breaking these core elements down to define brutalism comes down to understanding that ‘it requires that a building should be immediately apprehensible visual entity,” - Reyner Banham 1955. Brutalism must be visually recognised for its raw and original form, whether this be concrete, glass, metals and chrome, timber and other rugged materials. It should be recognisable for the structural layout and should embrace functionality. 

Overall as Banham states remembering that an image affects emotions through the structure of its fullest sense, between the relationship of parts and material.

[isobellaturenhout]

The sociological dimension of concrete interiors during the 1960s

https://www.nature.com/articles/palcomms201735

New Brutalism was part of this conceptual widening, especially insofar as it was trying to deal with the challenges posed by the rapidly changing housing needs of 20th century people. Cities were now bigger, denser, faster and noisier and this meant houses increasingly became thought of as structures that afforded protection from the outside world. The ethos of New Brutalism was expressed by English architects Alison and Peter Smithson:

Critical commentary 

Due to Europe's major cities being damaged from the war, large scaled and affordable housing was in high demand. There was an urgency for a revolution in architecture which the newest generation of architects took on. With limited resources and trust in mechanical technology architects, brutalism became the style choice for the next era of architecture. This was because the style consisted of cheap building materials. The shift in design went from aesthetics to ethics during post war times. Meanwhile in russia, the soviet union were having their own housing crisis. To combat the over population and damage the government promised residencies for everyone. The solution was to use brutalism to construct massive scaled, identical floor plans and low cost materials similar to the United Kingdom.

[isobellaturenhout]

Concrete Crit

A DICTIONARY OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE University of Chicago, 2015 https://voices.uchicago.edu/201504arth15709-01a2/2015/11/16/concrete/

XURZONGETTY IMAGES

Concrete is one of the most ubiquitous, flexible, and dynamic building materials in architectural history. By offering a profoundly different building technique to architects and engineers, it has significantly altered the way in which buildings are designed and constructed in the modern age. To adequately appreciate concrete and its significance in modern architecture, it is worth noting several important uses of concrete in modern construction, as well as addressing the criticisms and duologies which concrete presents.

Critical Commentary - Concrete is a structural material composed of aggregate, which is then bonded together with fluid cement or water. This process is made to harden overtime creating a strong and durable material. The demand for concrete is almost as high as water. The industry will be at $600 billion in revenue by 2025. Concrete has lead to a major environmental impact as it is not fully a natural material. Concrete is often used to cover and consume nature coming down to the cost of indigenous material. And it replaces local and natural materials due to its inexpensive cost aswell as ease of use.

Architects have been capitalising off this rugged material since the brutalism movement began. Le Corbusier was the leading architect during this movement, developing the cold and austere forms of concrete into striking buildings. Concrete became a main material in architecture during the 19th century and contributed to the creation of modern skyscrapers, bridges and other forms of architecture. 

Because of how adaptable concrete can be designers are able to create natural forms, for example concrete as woodwork or stone. These textures allow for diversity within architecture movements.